Special Time With Family

Recently, I visited the bookstore with my mom, nephew, and niece. One of my favorite things to do is sit in the cafe with a beverage and peruse the magazines and books. My mom and I decided to share the experience with my nephew and niece. We are working on getting them hooked on reading. The entire afternoon was spent together talking and sharing about the selections we made. We each left with a book thanks to mom. My selection was an old classic from childhood, Nancy Drew, The Bungalow Mystery. Here are a few photographs that captured the memory for us.

Jenni and The Bungalow Mystery

Anakin and My Teacher Glows in the Dark

Leia and Fancy Nancy

Mom (Yvonne) and Bella Grace

Go visit your local bookstore or library and enjoy a little quiet time. Everyone deserves a break now and then.

Hugs,
Jenni

Happy Fall Y'all!

As I was looking through my photographs for one that expressed the fall season, I found this. It was taken a few years ago of my nephew in our local mountains. The expression of pure joy in the serene fall setting was perfect for welcoming the season. Fall is one of my favorite times of year. I love to pick apples, take long walks, drink cider, and indulge in pumpkin anything and everything. As temperatures cool and leaves change color, remember to take a moment to step outside, take a deep breath, and let the fall sunshine bring a smile to your face. Happy fall y'all!

Hugs,
Jenni

Morning Planning

Well I woke up this morning and knew I needed to sit down with my blogging calendar and schedule some posts. With a very busy schedule, it is necessary for me to plan time for my blog. I made my cup of coffee and sat down with my blog calendar and started adding blog dates as well as other events this month. I realized that my calendar is quickly filling up. Life can really get out of hand, and I truly feel that it is vital to our self-preservation to schedule time for ourselves. So take time today to sit down with a beverage and your favorite book, magazine, or even CD. Relax and take five minutes to absorb the peace it can bring you. I promise you that the benefits will far outweigh the time out of your day.

Hugs,
Jenni

Our 2014 Summer in Photographs

Life has gotten busy again, but let me show you what has been going on. Here is a review of our summer in photographs:

Angel Game with my nephew, Anakin

Red Line Subway in Downtown Los Angeles

Repairing wood siding on our bungalow

Beach Day at Bolsa Chica State Beach

Our new trailer - Lil' Jessie

Biscuit has already claimed his spot in the new trailer.

Fried Zucchini from fresh zucchini in our garden

This is just a quick glimpse into our crazy, busy lives. I'll be back next week with a new update of my thrifty finds and maybe even some inside pictures of my kitchen.

Hugs,
Jenni

Blueberry Butter, Delicious!

With the end of summer approaching, I thought it would be nice to have some jam around through the winter. Of course I wanted to make it myself, so I just started canning this past week. I began with a strawberry jam, but I wasn't completely satisfied with the results. It turned out a little too syrup-like for me. The taste is wonderful, but I'm not sold on the texture. This week blueberries were on sale at the market. I searched for a recipe to try and found one for "blueberry butter." The best part is that it is made in the slow cooker. It took all day yesterday to cook, but by the time I went to bed I had a delicious looking blueberry butter. This morning I decided to try it on my English Muffin. Wow! I was ecstatic that this turned out and was absolutely delicious!

Have you canned your own jams, jellies, butters, or other special foods? I'd love to hear about what you have done and how it works for you. Please share any special recipes you find you could not live without.

Hugs,
Jenni

Butter Making With Jenni

Last week I discussed the different tools I have used to make butter. This week I thought I would share my process with you. The following video takes you through my steps of making butter. It is incredibly simple and does not take much time. I hope you will give it a try. See how simple it is by clicking on the video below.

I'd love to hear if you give it a try. If you have any questions about the process, just leave me a comment and I will get back to you.

Hugs,

Jenni

Thrifty Thursday

Welcome to another "Thrifty Thursday." Today I stopped by my local thrift shop and found this incredible deal. Some of you may know that I like to collect pretty Noritake China. It all started when I got married and inherited the China that my daddy purchased for my grandma. He was in the Air Force, and while stationed in Okinawa he bought my grandma a full 12 place setting of China. Since then I keep my eyes open for other patterns that I like and pick up pieces here and there. It was my lucky day today. I found the China you see below for a great deal. I'm thinking of putting some of these pieces in my trailer.

What thrifty finds have you come into lately? I'd love to hear all about them. Sometimes our thrifty shopping is an adventure in itself, so be sure to share your latest story here in the comments.

Hugs,
Jenni